Photoreproduction process.



No. 632,436. Patented Sept. 5, I899.

J. T. BENTLEY.

I PHOTUREPRODUCTHJN PROCESS.

(Application filed May 26, 1897. Renewed Sept. 26, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F1 .3 Fi .1.

j 3 J J 2 3 4- No. 632,436. V Patented Sept. 5, I899. J. T. BENTLEY.

PHOTOREPRODUCTIO N PROCESS.

(Application filed May 26, 1897. Renewed. Sept. 26, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-8heet 2 6 10 6 if s 6 Witnesses 2 [no/21101:JohmTBen [g 'f fy m: Mourns PEIERS cu. moraumo. wnsnmsvon, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

John T. BENTLEY, or ENGLEWOOD,

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, 3r MESNE ASSIGNB'IENTS, TO THE LUOIFORM COMPANY,OF NEIV YORK;

PHOTOREPRODUCTION PROCESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,436, datedSeptember 5, 18955.

Application filed May 26, 1897. Renewed Se tember 26, 1898. $e al No691,948. (No specimens) To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN T. BENTLEY, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing in Englewood, in the county of Bergen and State 5 ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPhotoreproduction Processes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the art of photoreproduction, and moreparticularly relates to an improved process of reducing the visual areaof matter to the required size without the destruction, disintegration,or elimination of portions of the reproduced original, whereby thelegibility thereof is retained and whereby also such reduction may bereadily obtained without the necessity of first securing a printedoriginal or copy thereof.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and e'liicientprocess'by means of which matter for reproduction, more especiallytypographic composition or letterpress matter, may be directlyreproduced of the required size and a correctly-engraved 2 5 plate,gelatin film, lithographic stone, or other positive obtained withouthaving, as heretofore generally required in this art, to first secure aprinted original or copy of such matter.

Afurther object of the invention is the provision of an improved processof obtaining a printing surface or plate directly from an originalwithout the necessity of using or first setting up type to secure aprinted copy or 5 impression thereof and which original comprisescharacters, figures, or letters having such structural formation thatthey are par ticularly efficient for photoreprodnotion.

A still further object of the invention is to o furnish for the purposeof carrying out this process an object or character with such structuralformation that when properly placedin position it will be withoutappreciable shadow around the same or with such structural forw aqmation that when placed in position for reon the positive plate in avery clear and brilliant m anner and whereby owing to the structuralformation of such object an increased reduction as compared with thereduction of matter by the process now commonly in use may readily beobtained while retaining the legibility thereof.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,Figure 1 is a view of one form of typographic matter in position to bereproduced and shows the rays of light so directed thereon that aluminant zone is obtained around the elements composing such matter.Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view taken in line a a, Fig.1, and shows on an enlarged scale one of the typographic characters ofsaid figure and also illustrates the manner in which the luminant zoneis formed around the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the view shownin Fig. 1. Fig. i is a view of another form of typographic matter inposition similar to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a diagrammaticvertical sectional view taken in line b b, Fig. 4, and shows on anenlarged scale one of the typographic characters shown in said figureand also illustratesthe manner in which the luminant zone is obtainedaround the same. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the view shown in saidFig. at.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in thedifferent figures of the drawings.

In photoreproduction processes as usually carried out it is the practicefirst to set up in forms the type of the letter-press or other matter tobe reproduced and then obtain therefrom or from aprinting-surface prodneed therefrom an impression or printed original or copy, which copy isthen reproduced of the required size, within certain limits, byphotography and the use of the ordinary camera, in order to produce thepositive plate from the negative so obtained. It has been found,however, that when such matter has been reproduced of a comparativelysmall size the matter is imperfect, this being due mainly to thediminution and the disintegration of the letters, owing, as Ibelieve, tothe fact that the type-faces (and of course the impressions therefrom)are imperfect, unnatural, and unbalanced in their structure, as suchtype-faces are ordinarily constructed with thick and hair lines, andhence they lack proper construction, so that in the process ofreproduction the thinner parts or the hair lines ofthe,impression-letters are cut out or bridged over by the light, thusleaving the thicker or larger parts separate and independent of eachother. This imperfection, however, is also due to the apparentimpossibility of increasing the clearness and brilliancy of thereproduced matter on the positive plate as compared with the originalmatter subjected to reproduction, so that owing to the disintegrationand also to this lack of proper brilliancy (under the usual and oldprocess) the greaterthe degree of reduction the grayer thereproducedmatterbecomes. Hence when this imperfectly-reproduced matter is placedbefore the eyes it tends to injure them. I have found, however, thatobjects formed by nature may be reduced to that stage where althoughimperceptible to the naked eye, yet when subjected to the microscopethey are seen to be as clear and brilliant and as perfect as theoriginal and without grayness of appearance or appreciabledisintegration or diminution of form. ThisI apprehend is due to thestructural formation of such natural objects, and therefore it followsthat matter which has structural or bodily form (by which I mean matterthat has structure or body as contradistinguished from a mere surfacerepresentation thereof) may be more perfectly reduced than that whichhas but a simulation thereof, and as a type impression or printedoriginal or copy is but a simulation or resemblance to the type-faces itcannot be as perfectly reduced as if the elements or letters co mposingthe same had structural form. Yet it would be impossible, so faras practicability is concerned, to photoreproduce the original form oftype, for while the type have structural form of a certain kind,although imperfect, it would be impossible not only to avoid the shadowswhich such type would cast intermediate and around each other, and whichshadows would result in transparent or light lines on the negative, andconsequently in dark or black lines on the positive plate, but in suchreproduction the spaces and leads and also the metal forming thebackground of the type-faces would also be reproduced. Not only this,but the resultant reproduction would be white or gray letters on a blackbackground, and it will be obvious that it would be practicallyimpossible to rout out such matter in order to secure a perfect plate.

The main object of the invention is therefore to provide typographic orletterpress matter having such structural formation, however obtained,that it may be directly reproduced, thereby dispensing with the use oftype and type-impressions and consequently dispensing with such indirectmethod of reproduction heretofore practiced.

From the foregoing it therefore follows that thereof a luminant zoneobtained.

matter which is given such a structural formation that when properlyplaced in position will be without appreciable shadow around the same oris given such astructural formation that shadows will be eliminated anda regular increased light or luminant zone obtained around the same,similar to that which, it is a iiprehendedfis around objects of nature,may be reduced to the same extent and with the same perfection as suchnatural objects and without disintegration or diminution thereofthat isto say, the visual area of such matter may be reduced without thedestruction or elimination of any portion of the reproduced original.Therefore to obtain a re production of matter in which the elementscomposing the same may not only be of great brilliancy and clearness,but may also hold their form to whateverstage of reduction they aresubjected and not become disintegrated, as heretofore, whereby suchmatter can be reducedto a greater degree than hitherto and yet beclearer and more legible than matter which is reduced under the oldprocess to a lesser degree, and whereby it will be obvious that by thisprocess pages or other forms of matter may be much smaller and at thesame time clearer and more legible, is one of the objects of thisimproved process.

In carrying out this process in one way I provide the matter (which isto be reproduced) with structural form as contradistinguished from amere simulation or surface representation of form (which latter is thecase of an impression obtained from type) and have given this mattersuch structural formation that when properly subjected to the action oflight appreciable shadows around the same are avoided and in some formsthereof an increased and intensified light or luminant Zone is securedin place of such normal shadow region, whereby I am enabled to reproducesuch matter with perfection and with great clearness and brilliancy, andconsequently reduce the same to a far greater extent than can be donewith imperfectly-formed matter or that which is but a simulationthereof.

As a preface to a further description of this improved process it willbe understood that while I have herein shown typographic characters,such as letters of the alphabet, as comprising the elements of thematter to be reproduced the process can be carried out in connectionwith any object which can be given structural form, and therefore withinthe scope of thisinvention is considered any matter or object which canbe given such structural formation that when properly placed in positionwill be without appreciable shadow around the same, and also any matter,images, or objects which can be given such structural formation thatwhen subjected to the action of light shadows will be" eliminated aroundthe same andin place Furthermore, it will be understood that any desiredinstrmnentality or means may be used for supporting these objects orelements in positiou, whereby they can be subjected to the other orreproduction steps of the process.

In carrying out the first step of this improved process one or morecharacters or objects, shown herein as typographic characters, such asletters, are disposed or assembled in position to form the matter to bereproduced, whereby they constitute the original. Each of these letters,however, is so constructed, in one form thereof herein shown anddescribed, that it has a reflecting border or edge entirely around thesame (designated in a general way by 2) and which border or edge isdisposed to direct the rays of light onto the zone immediately adjacentto such letter, and thereby illuminate said zone and by reason of suchillumination intensify the clearness of the outline of the letter itselfwhen reproduced by photography. In the species of typographic charactersshown herein this reflecting border or edge is disposed in a generaldirection inclined to the plane in which the letter itself is located,and in that form thereof shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 8 said generaldirection is downward and outward from the upper plane or top surface ofsaid body, whereby such border will usually be of a curved form, as 3,so as to vary the resultant angles of reflection in different portionsof the luminant zone, and thereby produce a highly-effective action ofthe light upon the letterand the illuminated plane or surface 4, onwhich such letter is placed. In the form of letter shown in Figs. 4, 5,and 6 the general direction of the border or edge surface 2 of theletter is downward and inward from its face or outer surface, being sodisposed with relation thereto that rays of light directed thereon froma sidewise posi- 'tion will be reflected from said border surface ontothe plane or surface on which the letter is located, and in practice itis deemed desirable to have in this form of typographic character thereflecting edge surface thereof made of a concave construction, as 5, soas to centralize the reflected rays in the relatively. narrow zoneimmediately back of the extreme edge 6 of said. letter, and therebyproduce a very greatly intensified illumination for the purpose ofdefining in the photographic negative, and thereby in the positive, theextreme edge of said letter or character in the sharpest mannerpossible. From the foregoing it will therefore be seen that owing to thestructural formation of the lettersas indicated, for instance, in Fig.2when the rays of light are properly directed thereon they will strikethe curved or inclined outer surface or border 3 of the letter andthence are deflected and diffused at varying angles onto differentportions of the area immediately adjacent to the border or edge of suchletter, whence they are reflected back, thereby forming an intensifiedlight or luminant zone 7 entirely around the letter, at the normalshadow region thereof, and hence completely eliminating such shadow.Owing to this great diffusion and reflection of light immediatelyadjacent to the border of the character it will be seen from aninspection of said Fig. 2 that instead of a shadow a greatly-intensifiedlight is obtained, varying in degree and becoming less as the angle ofreflection becomes greater, whereby such luminant zone 7 graduallymerges into the usual light area or surface 8 of the letter-support 10,at that point thereof where the reflected rays from such border cease,so that it will be seen that adjacent to the letter, which wouldordinarily be the normal shadow region thereof, the light is moreintense and brilliant than at a remote distance therefrom, so that whenreproduced on the negative, and consequently on the positive, theoutline of the letter is sharp and clear and is not disintegrated ordiminuted. From a view of Fig. 5 it will be seen that the same resulttakes place as the rays of light striking the inclined or concaved edgeor border surface 5 of the letter are diffused therefrom and in asimilar manner to that above described form a luminant zone 7 entirelyaround the letter, the reflected rays being centralized in therelatively narrow zone immediately back of the outer edge 6 of suchletter, whereby a greatly-intensified illumination is obtained, thatpart of the luminant zone substantially in alinement with the line ofsight (by the extremaedge of the letter) being the most brilliant, suchzone gradually merging into the light area 8, intermediate the lettersor characters.

According to one mode of carrying out this improved process any requirednumber of typographic characters or letters are organized or assembledin position in any desired way, such as by securing them adjacent to oron a support or supportingsurface, as 10, having an illuminable surface8, which may constitute the light area or space intermediate the lettersaud on which the luminant zone 7 adjacent to the letters may be formed,whereby such letters constitute the matter to be reproduced. The matterso assembled is then subjected to light in such manner as to directlyilluminate the edges of the letters, whereby owing to the peculiarstructural format-ion of such letters a brilliant and intense light orluminant zone 7 is obtained around the same, thereby eliminating shadowand securing in place thereof an intensified or brilliant light. Thematter is then photographically reproduced and a negative formed, whichnegative is then treated in the usual or any suitable manner to form apositive or printing surface, the letters of which will be found to haveheld their form without disintegration or diminution to whatever degreethe same may have been reduced and will have a superior brilliancy andclearness throughout.

It will be remembered that in utilizing for the purpose of making aprinting-surface the photographic reproduction, which is made directlyfrom the original matter, the photographic film is laid on the usualemulsion upon the plate, whereupon the plate is exposed to light,which,acting through the film, hardens the emulsion in accordance with thecharacter of the photographic reproduction on the film. One of thepeculiar advantages of my present invention is that by making thephotographic reproduction from original matter in relief, having thecharacters there of surrrounded by a zone of relatively intense light,whereby the outlines of the characters are sharply defined in thephotographic film, the emulsion is affected in a more clear and definiteway, so that the light during the light-printing operation will hardenthe emulsion to a greater extent than usual and so that the line of thehardening will be sharply defined, giving to the characters a very clearand distinct outline. The film being new sponged in the usual manner,the surface of the film is then inked to bring out and protect thoseportions thereof which have been hardened by the action of the light,after which the plate is washed off to remove all the superfluousportions of the film covering the spaces between the characters and soleav ing the surface of the plate itself properly bared ready forsubject-ion to the acids. The result is that the outlines of thecharacters in the film having been so sharply defined by means of therelatively intense illumination immediately around the characters duringthe making of the photographic film the edges of the characters in thefilm become perfectly continuous and smooth in outline, so that theprotective ink when applied thereto lies smoothly thereon in perfectcorrespondence with the true form of the characters, and therebyfurnishes an accurate outline for the character-p0rtion-protecting filmwhen the plate is subjected to the etching operation,whereby there isproduced a printing-plate having the characters thereon extremelyperfect in outline and true reproductions on such scale of reduction asmay be required of the original matter.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by means of this improvedprocess matter can be reduced to a greater degree than heretoforewithout the formation of dark or black lines on the positive plate andwithout the elements or parts of such matter becoming disintegrated thatis to say, the visual area of the matter can be reduced without thedestruction or elimination of any part of the reproduced original andwhich reduced matter will be of greater brilliancy and clearness thanmatter which has been subjected under the old process to a lesser degreeof reductionfrom which it follows that under the present process lessspace is necessary than heretofore for the production of such matter. Inother words, owing to the clearness and brilliancy and the perfectformation of such reproduced matter, whereby the same is more legibleeven when reduced to a far greater degree than heretofore, less space isnecessary to contain the same. The result is that books containing agiven amount of matter on a page may be made with much smaller pageswithout unfavorably affecting the readability of the matter, thus givingto the volume a greatly-reduced size and making it possible to bringmany standard works containing a relatively large amount of matter downto the size of pocket editions, besides reducing the cost for paper,printing, binding, &c., in a corresponding proportion. Hence in additionto the other advantages of this improved process is that of decrease inspace as well as of material, and consequently a reduction in the costof producing engraved, lithographic, or analogous matter.

In conclusion, among the many other advantages is that of directlyproducing a printing surface or plate from an original not formed fromtype, thereby dispensing with type and its appurtenances, andconsequently the enormous expense thereof,especially since by thisprocess from the one original may be secured various sizes ofreproductions, whereas when type is used different sizes of such typeare necessary to secure different sizes of reproductions.

The term character as used in the claims is intended to include withinits scope such designs, marks, symbols, letters, elements, or figuresand the like as are adapted to be given the structure set forth, and theterm luminant zone as used in the claims includes within its scope azone of light or light of apparently increased intensity as comparedwith the appearance of the light adjacent to such zone, and the termborder includes within its scope an edge, boundary, or outline.

I claim as my invention- 1. That improvement in the art ofphotoreproduction, which consists in assembling in position matter inrelief to be directly reproduced; then subjecting the matter in reliefto the action of light in such manner as to directly illuminate partsthereof and avoid shadow around the same, whereby a luminant zone isobtained around such matter in relief, and the matter thereby moresharply defined; and then subjecting the matter to photoreproduction,thereby to obtain a reproduction having the outlines of the reproducedmatter sharply and clearly defined.

2. That improvement in the art of photoreproduction, which consists inassembling in position relatively to each other, adjacent to asupporting-surface, a plurality of characters in relief to be directlyreproduced; then subjecting the characters to the action of light insuch manner as to directly illuminate the edges of such characters andavoid shadow around the same, whereby a zone of relatively intense lightis obtained around each character, and the character thereby moresharply defined; and then subjecting the matter to photographicreproduction, thereby to obtain a negative having the outlines of thereproduced characters sharply and clearly defined.

, That improvement in the art of photoreproduction, which consists inassembling in position relatively to each other, upon an illuminablesupporting-surface, a series of typographic objects constituting thematter to be directly reproduced, each typographic objecthavingstructural formation then subjecting the matter to the action of light,in such manner as to directly illuminate the edges of such objects andavoid shadow around the same, whereby a luminant zone is obtained uponsuch supporting-surface around each object; and then subjecting thematter to photographic reproduction, thereby to obtain a negative havingthe outlines of each object sharply and clearly defined.

4:. That improvement in the art of photoreproduction, which consists inassembling in position relatively to each other a series of typographicelements in relief to be directly reproduced; then subjecting thetypographic elements to the action of light, in such manner as todirectly illuminate the edges of such elements and avoid shadow aroundthe same, whereby a zone of relatively intense light is obtained uponsuch supporting-surface around each element; then subjecting theelements to photographic reproduction, thereby to obtain a negativehaving the outlines of each element sharply and clearly defined; andthen utilizing such negative to form a positive having the typographicelements thereof of a relatively clear and perfect form and outline.

5. That improvement in the art of photoreproduction, which consistsinassembling on an illuminable supporting-surface original matter to bereproduced, formed of characters having reflecting-borders; thensubjecting such matter to the action of light from a direction to formilluminated zones around the characters by reflecting the light fromsaid borders thereof; then photographing the matter so illuminated toproduce a photographic negative and finally printing through suchnegative onto a surface or plate and etching the plate to form aprinting surface or plate, whereby the printing-plate will be producedwith characters of a relatively clear and perfect form and outline,substantially as set forth.

6. That improvement in the art of photoreproduction, which consists inassembling in position characters constituting the matter to bereproduced, each of which characters is provided with a structuralborder; then subjecting the characters to the action of light in suchmanner as to illuminate the borders thereof and avoid shadow around thesame, wherebya luminant zone is obtained around and adjacent to eachcharacter; and then subjecting such characters to photoreproductionthereby to obtain a reproduction having the outlines of the reproducedcharacters sharply and clearly defined.

7. That improvement in the art of photoreproduction, which consists inassembling in position adjacent to an illuminable supporting-surface aplurality of characters constituting the matter to be directlyreproduced, each of said characters having a relativelyinclined border;then subjecting the matter to the action of light in such manner as todirectly illuminate the inclined border of such characters and avoidshadow around the same, whereby a zone of relatively intense light isobtained upon such supporting-surface around each character; thensubjecting the matter to photographic reproduction, thereby to obtain anegative having the outlines of the reproduced characters sharply andclearly defined; and then utilizing such negative to form a positive.

8. That improvement in the art of photoreproduction, which consists inassembling in position adjacent to an illuminable supporting-surfacecharacters constituting the mat ter to be reproduced, each of saidcharacters having a curved inclined border; then subjecting saidcharacters to the action of light in such manner as to directlyilluminate the curved borders thereof and avoid shadow around the same,whereby a luminant zone is obtained upon such supportingsurface aroundeach character; then subjecting the matter to photographic reproduction,thereby to obtain anegative having the outlines of the reproducedcharacters sharply and clearly defined; and then utilizing such negativeto form a positive.

9. That improvement in the art of photoreproduction, which consists indisposing on an illuminable supporting surface typographic charactersconstituting the matter to be reproduced, each of said characters havinga conveXed border extending around and located within the outerboundary-linethereof, whereby such border constitutes, when subjected tolight, a reflecting medium; then subjecting the characters to the actionof light in such manner as to directly illuminate the convexed bordersof said characters and avoid shadow around the same, whereby a luminantzone is obtained upon such supporting-surface around each character;then subjecting the matter to photographic reproduction, thereby toobtain a negative; and then utilizing such negative to form a positive.

10. That improvement in the art of photoreproduction, which consists inassembling in position characters in relief constituting the matter tobe reproduced, each of which char acters is provided with a structuralborder; then subjecting the characters to the action of light in suchmanner as to illuminate the borders thereof and avoid shadow around thesame, whereby a luminant zone is obtained around and adjacent to eachcharacter; then subjecting such characters to photoreproduction, therebyto obtain a reproduction having the outlines of the reproducedcharacters sharply and clearly defined; and then utilizing suchreproduction to form a printing-snrface.

11. That improvement in the art of reproduction, which consists inassembling in position, and avoiding appreciable shadow around the same,structurally-formed characters to constitute the original to bereproduced; and then reproducing such original to form a reproductionand avoiding the formation of superfluous marks around suchreproduction.

12. That improvement in the art of reproduction, which consists inassembling in position, and avoiding appreciable shadow around the same,characters in relief havinga structural border, and constituting theoriginal to be reproduced; and then reproducing such original to form areproduction without the formation of superfluous marks around suchreproduction.

13. That improvement in the art of reproduction, which consists inassembling in position, and avoiding appreciable shadow around the same,structurally-formed characters to constitute the original to bereproduced; then reproducing such original to form a reprod uction andavoiding thc formation of supertluous marks around such reproduction;and then utilizing such reproduction to form a printing surface or platelikewise without superfluous marks around the reproduced original.

14. The herein-described art of reproduction, which consists inremovably assembling in position for direct reproduction an originalcomprising a plurality of structurally-formed characters constitutingthe letterpress mat ter to be reproduced; and then reproducing suchmatter and avoiding the formation of superfluous marks around suchreproduced original.

15. The herein-described art of reproduction, which consists inremovably assembling in position for direct reproduction an originalcomprising a plurality of structurally-formed characters having astructural border and constituting the letterpress matter to bereproduced; and then rcprod ucin g such matter and avoiding theformation of superfluous marks around such reproduced original.

JOHN T. BENTLEY.

Witnesses:

O. A. WEED, EDWARD A. MEM).

